After listening to a webinar with parenting coach Amy McCready in which she was suggesting what we might say when our children are devastated by the consequences of their actions, Whitney and I both joked that we were going get tattoos that read, “I’m confident you’ll make a better choice next time” so that we could remember to use that line.

Spent so much time not putting pajamas on that we only had a 30-second back-scratching session? I’m confident you’ll make a better choice next time.

The theme of this book? By setting up limits with consequences, and training them in responsible behavior and decision-making, parents can rid their homes of the entitlement epidemic and raise confident, resilient, and successful children. Doesn’t that sound nice? [Read more…]

Frequently mentioned on lists of the best places for families to travel, San Antonio has something for everyone. But is it fun for babies, too? Colleen Pence with San Antonio Mom Blogs shares the five best places to take your baby for pint-sized fun in the Alamo City:

The DoSeum

While The DoSeum – San Antonio’s brand-new children’s museum – is an amazing place for all kids, ages 0-12, their Little Crawlers area will keep your baby busy for hours. Let him crawl around freely in this protected area that’s perfect for stimulating senses. Your sweet babe can look in the mirror, see other babies, and explore the colors and sounds all around them. [Read more…]

With the hot summer underway, I am sharing these flipping cute Hanna Andersson Star Wars shorty pajamas. All are organic cotton (and I wish they came in my size). My personal experience with Hanna Andersson jammies — after ten years of parenting — is that they are expensive but will last for at least three children without showing wear.

These affiliate links are for Nordstrom.com and seemed to have the best prices along with free shipping. Happy browsing.

The Princess Leia pajamas are all about the galaxy-saving princess’ iconic hairstyle. Cute for any rebel who likes pink. Available from 3T through big kid size 14. [Read more…]

Friend and fellow blogger, Jill Krause from BabyRabies, traveled to three cities to meet with these seven women to help tell their stories and put faces to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She says, “I could not be more proud of this video, or more humbled to have listened to these women tell their stories to my camera.”

It is a quick video that will tug at your heart. If you’re struggling or know someone who is, GET HELP! There’s lots of help available and you don’t have to do it alone. PostpartumProgress.org is a perfect place to start.

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders affect 1 in 7 pregnant and new moms. We are strong, we are fighters, we are good moms, and we are here for you if you are struggling, too. Moms with perinatal mood disorders are not alone. And they are still good moms, even if they are struggling.

A photo posted by Heather (@rookieheather) on Jun 24, 2015 at 8:50pm PDT

I wanted to attempt the 100 Happy Days challenge to photograph the small moments that bring me joy each day in the ongoing effort to Just Be Happier. I’ll admit that calling it #100DaysOfHappy sits easier with me than #100HappyDays; just the phrasing of calling an entire day happy rather than a moment within a day feels scary and uncomfortable. But I’m going for it anyway! Would it really be so bad to be happy for a whole day based on a series of moments looking for things that make me smile? I guess not.

A photo posted by Heather (@rookieheather) on Jun 29, 2015 at 2:09pm PDT

What I really like:

I like being on the hunt for my little sparks of joy. I always have my iPhone in my hand or purse anyway, so now I’m sneaking around my own life and trying to capture the cute, funny, tasty, happy moments. Are we having fun yet? Snap! This coffee is pretty… snap! I love these boys… sn — oh shit they moved! –ap!

What I kinda hate:

I know it is not a competition. But doing it on instagram, I am conscious of judgement in the form of LIKES. Wait, nobody else likes my very favorite chocolate? Wah. I don’t want to feel shitty for taking a photo of a happy photo in poor light.

You can learn all about the #100HappyDays project on the website or just start this second wherever you want. I’m doing it on instagram/rookieheather but blast your happy around however you like. There are tips for private people on the website, too.

IT DOES NOT SPILL. When you lock it, it can flip over next to your laptop, diapers, phone and not leak a drop of liquid. This feature is especially meaningful to me because if there is a way to misalign or under-tighten a water bottle and have it spill all over my stuff, I will find it. So, seriously, upside-down on my laptop, no problem. Amen. The photo below is the inside of my purse with this mug and my laptop, and I’m walking!

IT KEEPS STUFF SERIOUSLY HOT. My coffee comes out of this adult sippy cup so dang hot, that I used to have to wait an hour to drink it. Drinks stayed warm a good four hours into my day. If you are on the go with a baby or toddler and barely have time to put the cup to your lips, you will LOVE that it holds the heat. For impatient people who like to chug their morning brew, I have discovered that one ice cube does the trick.

(Yes, everything in my purse is labeled, what of it?!)

My husband and I share the two-pack of hella sealing travel mugs so we don’t have to fight about who gets the good one. There are also at least a dozen pretty colors. I *think* only the stainless color is dishwasher safe but don’t quote me on that.

As a young toddler, Holden always had one eye on Julian’s garbage truck toy. Whenever we went for a playdate, he’d seek out this same toy. Each time a birthday or holiday rolled around, he’d ask for his very own garbage truck. I don’t know why I resisted so long (oh yeah — it was about $100!!) but the sheer play value over the years makes me wish I bought it sooner. Lucky you, now it is a mere $89.

Our favorite toys hold their value and get serious play year over year; they are fun solo and with friends. My kids would flip out if I tried to box up their LEGO collection, the Magna-Tiles, or the Quadrilla marble runs. Unfortunately, I cannot offer you a guarantee that they will get such love at your house because… Kids!

Here are a few others we love:

My little guys can anthropomorphize miniature animals and action figures with the best of ’em. This wicked cool doll house would be so welcome in our playroom (more gender-neutral faves) as it is in near constant use at the preschool.

I saw this dollhouse masquerading as a two-foot-tall rocket ship last week on a playdate and instantly put it on our Sawyer’s wish list (see more boy-friendly dollhouses)!

I’m happy to share a guest post today from a mom in the trenches who has had some success curbing her son’s picky eating tendencies. She shares her perspective with us today. Thanks to Jennifer from MomTricks.

Hello everyone! My name is Jennifer Taylor and I blog over at MomTricks. I thought writing about my experiences of helping my son overcome his picky-eating habits would be helpful to those of you going through the same. There’s nothing quite like the struggle of trying to get a picky eater to open up to new foods.

My son Alex, who turned 6 in January, was a very picky eater. I couldn’t reason with him and begging wasn’t working any better. I thought I was a failure as a parent; this had to be my fault, right? I didn’t know it was normal for kids to refuse to eat healthy fruits and vegetables, so I blamed myself. Maybe it was the chicken fingers I gave him or the times we went to McDonalds for Happy Meals. I was sure it had something to do with my parenting.

If you’re in charge of throwing the perfect baby shower, fear not! There are as many ways to do it – and not screw it up – as there are pregnant ladies. Since every mom-to-be is different, we put together a list of seven non-traditional baby shower ideas we’ve enjoyed with our circle of friends for inspiration. As long as the expectant parents are showered with love, advice, and GIFTS before welcoming the new baby, anything goes.

From casual coed BBQ to hiring a psychic or making goofy face mash-ups we’ve seen it all turn out awesome. Read about our favorites on the Desitin Tumblr! And share your extraordinary ideas in the comments.

Disclosure: We were guest authors on the Desitin Tumblr as part of a sponsored campaign. Big bellies are mine and Whitney’s (or Karen’s pictured above). Opinions are my own: Desitin in the blue box is my favorite diaper cream, for realz.

I tried to do this 101 things challenge about five gulp EIGHT years ago and had a ton of fun with it. No, I didn’t get all my things crossed off the list. Shockingly, my children aged anyway. My then-infant son is now entering third grade. But why the hell not try again? I’m throwing down the gauntlet and issuing myself a public challenge. Here are my goals, Internets. We’ll see how many of them I can get through in the next 1001 Days (about 2.75 years).

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. More details on this project here: dayzeroproject.com

The best way to cool down on a hot day is also the easiest: just add water! Given the joy and hassle of taking a tiny person to a swimming pool, we wanted to give you some fun and easy ways to do it at home.

As mama Jessica Ashley told me, “Boss Lady’s corporate fitness center has a bad-ass pool” kitted out with all the toys and a see-through soaking tub. [Read more…]

One more! Derreck Kayongo’stips for fatherhood are excellent, but I could really listen to him speak about anything at all. Give yourself two minutes to be inspired to be a better parent to help your children embrace failure and become aware of who they are.

Note: These videos are shared because I like ’em. I think KidsInTheHouse requires a free sign-up to see the videos. Once you get in there, you’ll fall down a rabbit-hole of amazing advice in bite-size pieces.